Strut presents HAITI DIRECT, the first in-depth exploration of the vibrant and varied colours of Haiti s music from the early 60s to the late 70s. HAITI DIRECT celebrates the overlooked musical legacy of Haiti, going beyond Ra-ra and voodoo stereotypes to trace the development of a unique sound that echoed across the Caribbean. At the dawn of the '60s, as Jamaica twisted American R n B into ska and reggae and musicians from Cuba and Puerto Rico codified the sound of Salsa, Haiti gave birth to Compas Direct. an updating of the traditional Meringue rhythm, adapted with a new swing and complex arrangements. The driving sound and irresistible beat of Compas swiftly dominated the French-speaking Caribbean as well as taking root in the urban centres of New York, Paris, Montreal and Miami. As the decade waned, the big band orchestras of Compas-originator Nemours Jean- Baptiste and musical rival Webert Sicot gave way to new, smaller groups like Shleu Shleu and Les Frères Déjean. Raw electric guitars, wailing sax lines and driving percussion combined as the groups blended local rhythms with rock and jazz influences, producing a raucous, punchy and densely textured sound that paved the way for the next decade. Into the 70s, the Mini-jazz sound had become a major force across the Caribbean and into mainland Europe and South America. Tabou Combo filled New York s Central Park for a Summer concert and topped the charts in France, bringing the sound of Compas to a new and wider audience. They would eventually form one of the cornerstones of the Zouk wave in the '80s. Compiled by Hugo Mendez, co-founder of the excellent Sofrito label and sound system, HAITI DIRECT features classic material from the early days of groups such as Tabou Combo and Les Freres Déjean as well as rarities from lesser known groups - bringing together the sound of Compas with Latin workouts, psychedelic experiments and the Cuban influenced Twoubadou singers that continued to be a key part of the fabric.......
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Bartek Chaciński (Polifonia.blog.polityka.pl):
"(...) W swoich najbardziej bujających, melodyjnych odmianach muzyka haitańska może się kojarzyć po prostu z jakimś dalszym kuzynem cumbii. W balladowych – przypomina wykonawców kubańskich, choć postkolonialny rys kultury francuskiej trochę tu zmienia. Ale najciekawsze jest to, co dzieje się na styku rytualnej, afrykańskiej rytmiki i wpływów zachodnich. Weźmy Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour, w których „Panno Caye Nan Bois Chene” piosenka o lekko funkującym charakterze (odniesień do afro beatu i w tej muzyce nie brakuje) zostaje przełamana bardzo skomplikowaną polirytmią w najprostszych momentach kojarzącą się z rytmami jungle. Nie mniej złożone są partie perkusyjne „Gade Moune Yo” w wykonaniu Ra Ra De Leogane, opatrzone dodatkowo bardzo hipnotyczną partią graną na dość prymitywnych bambusowych fletach (...)"


Strut presents HAITI DIRECT, the first in-depth exploration of the vibrant and varied colours of Haiti s music from the early 60s to the late 70s. HAITI DIRECT celebrates the overlooked musical legacy of Haiti, going beyond Ra-ra and voodoo stereotypes to trace the development of a unique sound that echoed across the Caribbean. At the dawn of the '60s, as Jamaica twisted American R n B into ska and reggae and musicians from Cuba and Puerto Rico codified the sound of Salsa, Haiti gave birth to Compas Direct. an updating of the traditional Meringue rhythm, adapted with a new swing and complex arrangements. The driving sound and irresistible beat of Compas swiftly dominated the French-speaking Caribbean as well as taking root in the urban centres of New York, Paris, Montreal and Miami. As the decade waned, the big band orchestras of Compas-originator Nemours Jean- Baptiste and musical rival Webert Sicot gave way to new, smaller groups like Shleu Shleu and Les Fr&#.......
more